Inspired to Write » writing software

Old SEO is DEAD! Please Stop Using it!

Julie McElroy — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:05:53 +0000

I have some bad news…

Traditional SEO is dead!

Watching the changes on the Internet in the last couple years, I have seen so many websites go up and nothing happens to them. I myself have put up websites because I thought I would get into niche affiliate marketing. I decided not to. In the meantime, these sites are online and not much happens to them. Little traffic, little sales.

People are using old SEO tactics, thinking they can put up a site, do some on site SEO, and watch traffic come trickling in.

Today, it is even more difficult to get ranked for sites!

Search Engine Optimization has changed!

I have also seen people creating websites with a bunch of horrible content overstuffed with keywords in order to try and rank their site. Quality is becoming more and more important, but people still try and use old SEO tactics. I just shake my head when I see many of these sites.

As a writer, I am ashamed of the poor content, and as an Internet marketer I am embarrassed at their lack of current knowledge.

In another post I wrote a few months ago, I discussed some great tools I use for keyword research. One of the tool I have mentioned (and that you see in the sidebar) is Market Samurai. I don’t promote too many products here, but this is one I find very useful. It is not only useful as a tool itself, but the owners of the tool, Noble Samurai, stay on top of the latest with SEO.

SEO is changing constantly and it is quite difficult to stay on top of it all.

If you’ve tried to do any SEO lately, you’ll have noticed that it’s getting pretty HARD (almost impossible) to get a page 1 ranking… even for “easy” keywords!

If you’re still using the “traditional” techniques for ranking your website and you DON’T change what you’re doing …then you’re headed straight for search engine oblivion.

What’s going on?

Noble Samurai has created a free video series (yes FREE) that walks you through what SEO professionals do TODAY to snap up position #1 rankings for any keyword they can think of. All you need is to put in your email and you will have access to the videos. These SEO Pros have the confidence to rank for the most profitable, most competitive keywords on the planet! When you watch the videos you’ll understand why.

Watch it now. You’ll be glad you did. It takes just a minute to sign up.

Celtx: The Answer to Your Scriptwriting Needs

Michael Carter — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:46:34 +0000

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Michael Carter. Please read more about Michael in the footer.

Many creative writers are unaware of the resources available to them on the Internet. Most of this software focuses on scripts because this format requires the most structured treatment. Anyone learning the do’s and don’ts of a screenplay know that the layout has a learning curve of its own.

My experience involved tinkering with tabulations, case sensitivity, and punctuation nearly as much as with the dialogue itself. In short, the frustration level involved in writing a script overwhelms the creative impulse.

I wanted software that allowed me more time to write the story with less spent fiddling with the format. This led me to scour the internet for a solution. What I found were over a dozen good programs that handled script format well.

The downside? Price. Final Draft, hyped as the industry standard, runs $249. Others range between $30-$50. Then there is Celtx. Price? Free!

FREE Software for Scriptwriters

Not only is Celtix perfect for the script task, but there are dozens of tutorials. YouTube abounds with videos and dozens of written tutorials can be located with a simple Google search. Why, then, would a tutorial come in handy if the program is so easy to use? For the features. Celtix is loaded with goodies.

Writing a Scene

Here’s the procedure for writing a scene. On opening the program we’re presented with a choice of formats including film, theater, audio play, storyboard, and others. Choosing film brings up a blank screen with the cursor blinking on the first line as it would in any word processor. But, at the top is a status box which identifies the first entry as Scene heading. Typing in “Main Street”/Enter automatically puts this heading in caps. When the cursor jumps to the next line, the status becomes Action. You can change to Shot if preferred. Actually any status can be changed at any time simply by hitting the Tab key.

The real joy of the program comes from writing the actual dialogue. With Character selected as status, the cursor moves to the middle of the page. Typing in “Noah”/Enter moves the cursor to the left side, and the status changes to Dialogue. “Come on critters”/Enter moves to center next line with Character as the status. “Donkey”/Enter moves to center next line and Dialogue. “I’m tired!”/Enter moves to next line Character, but now all that’s needed is an “n” to bring up Noah again. For the Donkey, a “d.” The process becomes rapid-fire creative script writing.

Other Celtx Features

Each area of software has its own gems. Those perfect programs that we can’t do without. In the area of play writing, Celtx makes a great choice. It has nearly all the features of Final Draft without the price. On the left side of the screen are Project and Scene titles. The right side is open for Notes. Along the bottom are several tabs, the most useful being index cards for scene descriptions and story boarding. These can be rearranged as the story and ideas develop.

Celtx Add-Ons

A suggestion about add-ons. The Writer’s Pack and the 365 Sketch Images can be purchased together for $15. The former allows full screen mode, which is handy, and plot view where the plot can be studied by scene.

The sketch add-on offers a wide variety of images covering nearly any setting. And, what if halfway through your film script the idea occurs of changing the story to a play and not a film? With a mouse click, Celtx will reformat the script as a stage play or even an audio radio play.

Using this program will return scripting to the creative experience it should be. And best of all, it’s free.

Remote Software for Computer Access Saves the Day for the Non-Geeks

Julie McElroy — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Have you ever had a problem with your computer and have no idea how to fix it? In other words you are NOT a computer geek. Well, I have. Especially before I bought my MacBook (sorry, there is a plug for Mac there).

It always seemed to happen right when my writing inspiration was in full force and I was in the middle of submitting an awesome paper, article, blog post, or whatever else.

So then you call up customer support and they try and “walk you through it.” Sure, most times that works. Not always. I have had to send my computer to get fixed and that is a royal pain in the ________ !

But, when my computer acts up at work (and it often does), it is cool to have someone get remote desktop control to access my computer. You watch them magically fix it, right in front of your eyes. That is impressive to me. They essentially save the day when you are having error messages that do not even seem like plain English.

Remote Access Software to Connect to Computer

For any IT or help desk technicians out there, having remote access to a computer is way more efficient than having to physical visit a person’s computer. As much as I would love to have my own personal IT department at home, it is just not in the cards.

However, there is a software available that allows remote access to a computer.

PC remote access is available using a remote software, PROXY Pro 7, which has a workstation version for smaller networks. Remote computer access software allows one computer access to control another over the internet. This may be for a variety or reasons including troubleshooting, obtaining access to files or a desktop, team collaboration, or training purposes.

There are other versions available as well for larger networks depending on your needs. (It does work with Mac & Linux as well). Of course, this software has the latest technology with 256-bit encryption for security.

For small business owners, or those who work at home, sometimes time is critical. If you have people working on a project and they can not work, due to computer problems, remote access is key.

The other cool thing about this software is if you are trying to access files from another computer or need to access a desktop, it allows you to do this. Even if the computer is off.

Anyhow, for those computer geeks that want to help the non-computer geeks out there, being able to SEE the screen and fix it while you sitting in your PJ’s drinking coffee, this is pretty cool software to have.

iPad Craze and Writing Software for Mac (and Windows Users, Too)

Julie McElroy — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:44:00 +0000

iPad Craze

The latest craze of iPad has got me thinking about cool new gadgets and software to facilitate my writing and increase my reading material without excessive bookshelf space. However, I am on the fence with actually forking over hundreds of dollars for this what seems to be a blow up version of the iPhone. But, without the phone. Just to have cool apps. I decided I probably do not need one. At least for now.

NaNoWriMo Requires Distraction Free Writing

I do not need an iPad to find cool writing software. Since I personally have a Apple computer, my beloved MacBook, I am pretty excited that there is writing software available designed specifically for Mac users. I started looking into this after thinking about participating in the upcoming NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is a writing event that happens in November in which participants write a novel in 30 days. Not perfect, just write like crazy until you reach 50,000 words. The NaNoWriMo is all about getting words down, not word processing or editing. Just distraction free writing.

Software for Writers

When a word processing software is just not the right tool, other writing software can offer an alternative for writers. As I began looking for software, I found a site with links to writing software to utilize. Much of the software that is out there have similar features, it really is just a personal preference. Some software is more elaborate than others. The above links are on the Scrivener website, which is a full blown writing management tool for Mac OS X. However, this may not always be required for certain writers. Scrivener is more for long projects, like novels.

What is great about this Literature & Latte website though is the owners are software developers for Scrivener, but the site provides tools and links for other writing software, mostly for Mac users. But, there are links for Windows users as well.

So, if you are looking for new software to help you with a writing project or self-publishing software, this seems to be a great place to start.